Marvel's "Ultimates" cancelled, will relaunch at at later date

Marvel Comics announced in a press release Monday evening that they've cancelled their chronically late title "The Ultimates." That doesn't mean it's gone for good, though. The popular title has suffered from numerous publishing delays, so Marvel's decided to cease publication following issue #13, out this month, but will relaunch the title at a later date once six issues of the series are completed so as to get the title back on a monthly schedule. The full press release follows:

CREATING THE ULTIMATE(S) EXPERIENCE

Marvel & the creators behind the best-selling Ultimates series have refocused and retooled the first issue of ULTIMATES VOLUME 2, #1 to make it bigger, badder, bolder and, most importantly, regular! To accomplish these goals, the brash series has been removed from the schedule, with all original orders cancelled. The blockbuster title will be resolicited at a later date, when it can be guaranteed to ship monthly.

"Marvel did exactly what we wanted them to. Like everyone else, I've been frustrated by the long delays between issues and so I asked them to stockpile six issues to guarantee this book went out monthly again," said Mark Millar. " Volume two is very much a sequel and so this seems like the logical place to have the gap. I'd rather see delays between volumes than issues and it's great Marvel's getting behind us like this."

Offered artist Bryan Hitch, "With Marvel's continued and unprecedented support, they are allowing us to step back and stockpile a whole arc before release which is just fantastic. That's not to say we are resting on our laurels here, we have realistic, workable schedules and are 100% committed to giving the fans the best we can, every single month!"

Marvel staff has been supportive of the creators and their unprecedented stance. As Publisher Dan Buckley said, "Look, this title is a home run whenever it comes out. But it's got to come out for six months in a row - a complete story, shipping on time. By working together, we now feel comfortable saying we're giving the fans the best possible reading experience."

Marvel Editor in Chief, Joe Quesada, offered, "Timing aside, just wait 'til you see what these guys have cooking. The book will look amazing if this comes off as planned, and you can absolutely believe we're going to want to get this into the hands of the fans as soon as possible, because I want the book myself!"

Ultimates-obsessed fans may find solace in the following Ultimates Collected Editions: